Pecco Bagnaia told "the truth; change something" about Marc Marquez deficit

Pecco Bagnaia’s deficit behind Marc Marquez extends far beyond his qualifying struggles, he has been told.

Marquez leads the MotoGP championship after winning seven out of eight races across the first four rounds.

Bagnaia’s sole win came when Marquez crashed out of the lead in Texas, but he was unable to capitalise in Qatar as he again finished behind his new Ducati teammate.

Bagnaia endured a miserable Saturday in Qatar, qualifying 11th after a crash then finishing the sprint P8, highlighting an obvious area to improve.

But the Italian has been told that his troubles are worse than merely his qualifying pace.

“He won more sprints last year than Jorge Martin, so I don’t think it is a big thing,” Neil Hodgson told TNT Sports about Bagnaia’s form on a Saturday.

“He got nowhere near Marc on a Sunday. He needs to go faster all weekend. He needs to start Friday morning.

“It’s not like he’s beaten Marc a few times. He’s got nowhere near beating Marc, at all!

“Think about it - we’ve had eight races. Marc crashed out of an eight-second lead or he’d have had eight in a row.

“I hear what [Bagnaia] is saying. He’s just down.

“He is quite pally with Marc and that’s because he’s been defeated already, that’s how it looks to me.

“I am a massive Pecco fan, he’s a two-time MotoGP champion, he’s incredible. But he’s entranced by Marc.

“It’s Pecco’s team, Pecco’s garage. I feel for Pecco, it’s hard.

“Don’t focus on the Saturday, focus on everything, because [Marc] has destroyed you.”

Pecco Bagnaia told to 'change something'

Hodgson said about Bagnaia’s crash in Qatar qualifying: “It was one mistake. He was two tenths under when he tucked the front, so he was on a good lap.

“But that’s not just the issue, is it? That’s the truth.

“We can lie and say he needs to focus on the Saturday, to qualify better. But he needs to find three tenths because Marc has got it in his back pocket.”

Marquez is top of the MotoGP standings, 17 points clear of his brother Alex Marquez, who has also frequently beaten Bagnaia despite riding inferior machinery.

Bagnaia is 26 points shy of Marc but will be buoyed as the season enters its European stage, beginning in Spain on April 25-27.

“Already we’re at that point where you’ve got to change something,” Hodgson told Bagnaia.

“He goes well at Jerez, but so does Marc.

“Marc nearly beat him last year on the ‘23 Ducati which we now know was three or four tenths per lap slower.

“Marc goes into Jerez as the favourite.”